As the summer holidays come to an end, Kate Middleton, the Duchess of Cambridge, prepares to send her three children—Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis—back to school. However, according to Royal expert Jennie Bond, Kate is likely feeling “conflicted” about the new term plans for her children, especially as she continues to battle cancer, according to the Mirror.
Throughout the summer, the Cambridge family has enjoyed time together at their Norfolk residence, Anmer Hall, and Balmoral. But as the start of the school term approaches, the Duchess is facing mixed emotions, says Bond. “I think that, like most mums, Catherine will have conflicting emotions about the end of the school holidays,” Bond told OK! magazine.
Bond further explained that while Kate, 42, has been busy entertaining her children over the past few weeks, it hasn’t been easy given her ongoing cancer treatment. “Entertaining three children day after day—especially when there must still be days when she is feeling the effects of her cancer treatment—can’t always have been easy in these past few weeks. But she and William have looked wonderfully relaxed in the few images we have seen. I’m sure they’ve had a lot of fun and family time in Norfolk and Balmoral,” Bond added.
As Prince George, 11, Princess Charlotte, 9, and Prince Louis, 6, return to their school routines, it offers Kate a chance to rest and focus on her recovery. “Now it’s back to the early morning discipline of school uniforms, bags packed, homework done, and the school run. It will give Catherine the chance to rest quietly when she needs it without feeling guilty that she’s not with the children, and it will also give her the opportunity to continue the work that she has been doing behind the scenes on the campaigns and projects that mean so much to her,” Bond said.
In March, Kate revealed her ongoing battle with cancer, sharing that after abdominal surgery in January, further tests confirmed the presence of cancer, leading to her current preventative chemotherapy treatment. While Kate took time away from the public eye to focus on her health, she made several appearances at significant events, such as Trooping the Colour and Wimbledon, much to the delight of her supporters.
Bond expressed hope that Kate is not burdened with guilt as she slowly returns to public life. “I hope very much that she is not feeling guilty about her prolonged absence from the public stage. I hope she realizes that the vast majority of the public completely understand that she needs time and privacy to regain her strength,” she said.
Kate and Prince William, currently on their summer break, also took time to support Team GB’s Paralympians, wishing them luck ahead of the #Paris2024 Paralympics. “Looking forward to another few weeks of incredible sport! Wishing the very best of luck to our @ParalympicsGB athletes and all those competing,” they shared.